WAUSAU, Wis.— Claire Butalla loves the outdoors — even the snow — and has been skiing since the fifth grade.
She recently completed her longest race yet, a 50-kilometer endurance test at the American Birkebeiner in northern Wisconsin.
“Before the Birkie, the most I had skied was a 30K,” said Butalla. “I didn’t train too much specifically for the Birkie, but just training for my high school season, I was able to do it.”
Butalla's used to 5K and 7K races for Wausau United Ski Team. She realized that her goal of finishing the Birkie was going to be a big challenge.
“Most long-distance sports are mental. You can train as much as you want, but if you’re not mentally ready, then you’re not going to do well,” said Butalla.
Butalla enjoys long-distance sports. Her cross country coach called her a cornerstone of the program. He also noted her thoughtfulness when setting her preseason goals.
“It was never a one-word answer," said Jason Myers, Wausau West cross country coach. "You went around the campfire and you’re like, 'why are you here? What do you want from this season?' Claire’s the kind of young lady who put her heart and soul into it. It meant something to her. She wasn’t just putting in the time. She was there because she did care about the program. She cared about not just her progress but that of her teammates.”
The 4.0 student also cares about her school work. Her teachers said Butalla doesn’t just memorize answers. She tries to figure out how things work.
“She wants to know why the math works and not just okay, the answer is ... whatever. She wants to understand the deep reasoning and the deep thoughts behind it,” said Matt Roth, Wausau West math teacher.
Roth said Butalla has a mind for math and science, but her work ethic and personality will bring her success in whatever field she chooses.
“She just brightens up the room,” said Roth. “If I had some more Claire’s in my classroom, my job would be a whole lot easier.”
Butalla also enjoys going deep in non-STEM subjects, like psychology where her teacher enjoyed watching the "aha" moments.
“She’s avidly paying attention and taking things in. All of a sudden, I’ll see her give these little nods like she’s really thinking of her things and her ideas, said Elayna Clark, Wausau West AP psychology teacher. "Then she brings all of that together when we come together as a group. You’ll see this bursting forth of all the things that she’s been thinking and processing when she is quiet."
Butalla’s interested in pursuing a career in landscape architecture. She’s volunteered at Monk Botanical Garden and even runs her own weed pulling business.
“I think in fifth grade I was looking for a job, so I went to my neighbor and asked them if they needed help weeding,” explained Butalla. “She was a single lady in her 80s. She said, yeah, I can’t get to it myself. That’s what started it.”
Running, skiing, weeding, or schoolwork, Butalla’s developed the mental toughness and positive outlook to take on whatever future challenges she faces after high school.